$300,000 charter bus stolen at Rapid City Holiday Inn

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - A tour bus was stolen from the Monument parking lot this morning.

Officials from The Le Bus, Salt Lake City, Utah-based company, reached out to Rapid City law enforcement as well as the news stations for any updates.

According to the Rapid City Police Department, the charter bus was reported missing at 7:40 a.m. The bus was taken from the lot near the Monument and the Holiday Inn. RCPD reported the bus traveled northbound on North Ellis Road around 6 a.m.

The GPS coordinates alerted the general manager of the bus company, Bryan Copyak, that the vehicle stopped at Emmanuel Baptist Church, where the bus surveillance cameras cut out.

“We think they did know to turn the camera off because it recorded for about 10 minutes leaving Rapid City over to the church and then it quit recording. So what I think happened, is they were driving down the road and they’re going ‘Oh cr-- there’s a camera looking at me. We better ditch it’”, Copyak said.

Latest updates from the RCPD say the tour bus has been recovered by the South Dakota Highway Patrol on Interstate 90 near Chamberlain.

The owner and general manager from the Le Bus company say they are thankful for their property back which was valued at around $300,000.

Copyright 2023 KOTA. All rights reserved.